Why You Need Microsoft Windows Patches Immediately

We are experiencing two of the largest vulnerabilities in recent years, and your antivirus software is helpless against them. The fix? Microsoft Windows patches.

Two vulnerabilities, known as Spectre and Meltdown, allow hackers to go to the deepest parts of the computer. Hackers read data from the computer’s history including passwords, sensitive documents, photos, emails, and conversations. It is still too early to see the results of these vulnerabilities, but if you do not have the most recent patches, you are still in great danger.

Won’t my anti-virus catch attempts to exploit my system?

It depends. Not all antivirus software provide adequate defense for system vulnerabilities. Both Spectre and Meltdown, along with many other vulnerabilities, are virtually undetectable. They leave no log traces, and they are very difficult for antivirus software to distinguish from regular applications. The only way to defend against these attacks is to install the most recent patches and fix the vulnerabilities themselves.

Does this affect me?

Microsoft Windows vulnerabilities affect every single computer using its operating system. Unless you have already patched your system, you are vulnerable to both Meltdown and Spectre exploits. It is too early to see what companies are affected by these, but similar exploits have left large organizations victim.

Heartbleed, an attack in 2014, left organizations such as Mumsnet, a popular website for moms, and the Canadian Revenue Agency as victims. Hackers received access to the accounts of all 1.5 million accounts on Mumsnet while also taking the Social Insurance Numbers of 900 taxpayers and other data from the Canadian tax agency.

Do I have to install patches immediately?

Yes. Hackers attempt to exploit vulnerabilities as soon as they are made known in hopes of catching companies before they can protect themselves. With the patches for Spectre and Meltdown having just been released, it is imperative you install them before your systems are exploited.

The main reason for installing Microsoft Windows patches is to increase security for your systems. Many times, they are your only line of defense against vulnerabilities in the system. With our managed IT services, your security is our top concern. We install patches, provide 24×7 proactive remote monitoring, run antivirus checks and updates, scan for virus and malware vulnerabilities, and provide managed enterprise-grade antivirus and network security threat protection along with a host of other features.